The Gargoyle Contract

Near the start of chapter 3, you can enter the town square in Loc Muinne. Near the inn, you'll find a notice board with two quests. Grab the appropriate notice to activate this quest.

(LEFT) 'The gargoyles like to mob you, and they can also toast you with their flaming breath.' (RIGHT) 'You will need to deactivate seals in order to access the treasure chests.'

Your job is to rid the surrounding area of gargoyles. As usual with this sort of contract, you can begin by either battling a number of gargoyles or by purchasing a book that tells you about their habits. You can find the book for sale by Felicia Cori. She sells several books on runes (buy them all) as well as the book detailing gargoyles.

Read the book on gargoyles by accessing it and using it as an item from your inventory. You'll learn that to destroy the gargoyles, you must destroy their place of origin by deactivating magical seals. The problem is that the seals present puzzles. You must deactivate them in a certain order. You can find notes describing that order, which can be deciphered using the books on runes that you purchased from Felicia Cori. The trick now is to find the rooms where the seals are located. There are three of them.

Near the city's main gate, head left into a room and then left again to arrive in a long, narrow hallway. Progress along that hallway and you will be attacked by gargoyles. They're quite powerful, capable of dealing strong damage and capable of withstanding a lot of damage from you before they collapse. That fact gives them more time to mob you, so be ready to roll out of a potentially bad situation and use magic to keep them at bay if needed. When you defeat the gargoyles, then you're good to descend along the stairs they were guarding.

(LEFT) 'A golem guards the second seal, not gargoyles.' (RIGHT) 'Find Bras of Ban Ard relaxing along the corner of the market square.'

Follow that hallway and you'll reach a small chamber. Here, there are runes etched on the walls. Magic light keeps them ablaze and there is a treasure chest on the back wall. A magical barrier prevents you from opening the chest. That barrier is generated by the runes, which you must extinguish. You can get near to the runes and press the button indicated on-screen to do so. Remember that they should be put out in a certain order. If you get the order wrong, you'll take damage.

If you don't have success piecing clues together from the books and matching them to the symbols, you can always attempt to find the solution through trial and error. As a precaution, you can cast the Quen sign to protect yourself from the wards' incineration attack if you get the answer wrong.

There are only so many possibilities, after all. In this particular chamber, your most probable option (as you face into the room from the door) is:

(1) - rune on the wall to the left of the entrance;

(2) - rune on the wall to the right;

(3) - rune on the floor to the left;

(4) - rune on the floor in front of the treasure chest.

If that doesn't work, your other possibility is:(1) - rune on the wall to the left of the entrance;(2) -rune on the floor to the left;(3) - rune on the floor just in front of the chest;(4) - rune on the wall to the right of the door.

When you get the combination right, you can open the treasure chest. Inside, you will find an ancient manuscript and a diagram to make yourself some Elder Blood Boots. When you grab the manuscript, you'll activate a new side quest called An Encrypted Manuscript.

Now return to the main city gate, and this time explore the passages to the right. You'll battle golem instead of gargoyles this time and then you will find another room similar to the one you just left. There are four more runes here, and another few possibilities when it comes to deactivating them. The first possibility is as follows

(1) - rune on the floor to the left of the entrance;

(2) - rune on the wall to the right;

(3) - rune on the floor to the right;

(4) - rune on the wall to the left

If that doesn't work, try the second possibility:(1) - rune on the wall to the right of the entrance;(2) - rune on the floor to the right;(3) - rune on the wall to the left;(4) - rune on the floor to the left.

Open the chest if you like and you will find the diagram to the Elder Blood Gauntlets, which allow you to carry more weight if you create and equip them.

Now there's only one more seal to break. Head to the amphitheater area, accessible from the hallways leading out the far side of the town square. Along the amphitheater, head to the right and you'll find a room where gargoyles attack. Defeat them, then descend the stairs that they were guarding to find the third and final seal. Your first potential solution in this case is:

(1) - rune on the floor to the right of the entrance (near the back wall);

(2) - rune on the floor to the left (near the back wall);

(3) - rune on the wall to the left;

(4) - rune on the wall to the right.

If that doesn't work, try the alternate solution:(1) - rune on the floor to the left of the entrance (near the back wall);(2) - rune on the floor to the right (near the back wall);(3) - rune on the wall to the left;(4) - rune on the wall to the right.

When you disable that final seal, open the treasure chest for the Elder Blood Trousers diagram and the Addan Deith sword, then go back to the market square. See Bras of Ban Ard (seated near one corner of the market square) for your reward and the quest will be marked complete.